1850 · England
England: BRADSHAW & BLACKLOCK, Licensees, 1850. VG, see details below. Presented between two boards covered in brown cloth, 1/2 leather (spine gone, boards thus are loose) the front cover being gilt-embossed with the title. 7 Color plates. Boards measure 10.25" wide by 12.625" high, sheets measure 10.25" x 11.75" and images measure 7.35" x 4.57" Titles of the seven prints are as follows: "The Beautiful Gate of The Temple", "Sacrifice at Lystra","Elymas Smitten Blind", "ST. PAUL, PREACHING AT ATHENS", "MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF THE FISHES", "DEATH OF ANNANIAS", "CHRIST'S CHARGE TO ST. PETER." All of these are produced by Bradshaw & Blacklock, Licensees, Manchester by Baxter's Patent (this informaqtion, as well as the title of each of the seven plates being delicately embossed in fancy border underneath the center of each image). YCFBA calls the prints " Aquatint, etching, stipple engraving and color woodcut on thick, smooth cream wove paper mounted on contemporary cream card." Others call them "Baxter's Process print made by Bradshaw and Blacklock of England." Bradshaw and Blacklock licensed the Baxter's process from Baxter in 1850's. These studies were produced soon after as far as we can determine. These are very rare items and were colored by aligning a block for each color used and impressing it over the engraving. These seven prints are exquisite in their composition, delicacy and vibrancy. While the cardstock they are printed upon shows signs of yellowing and age-toning at the perimeters, and a few plates have small folds or chipping at the corners and edges, the prints themselves are bright and clean. No text is present, and I believe none was issued with these, except perhaps a title-page or cover sheet. There is no printed text material present with this item, and research does not reveal further information on the printing or bibliographic history of these. The prints may be related to: "The cartoons of Raphael, London, New York, London Print. and Pub. Co., [18--?]," which is described as having 7 prints, each with letterpress guards and a few pages of text, but the measurements of this book do not align with the measurements of this book or contents, and no mention is made of the prints being in color. The closest reference to this portfolio can be found in an 1870 auction catalogue titled "Catalogue of the Library Belonging to Mr. John A. Rice...of Chicago to be sold by Auction...1870 by Bangs, Merwin." wherein there is an item (#2666) titled "The Cartoons of Raphael. A Series of Seven Colored Plates.
(Inventory #: 155665)